a flash flood at the junction of West Coast Road and West Coast Way on Nov 10.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\nThe campaign highlights the message that flash floods can happen anytime and anywhere, and everyone needs to be flood-ready.<\/p>\n
\u201cFlood resilience is not about being lucky and hoping for the best,\u201d said Angela Koh, PUB\u2019s deputy chief executive for flood resilience. \u201cIt is about being prepared for the unexpected.<\/p>\n
\u201cPUB will continue to strengthen our flood monitoring, infrastructure and response capabilities, but building a flood-resilient Singapore takes all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
PUB said the new initiatives, such as its remote-controlled pump vehicle as well as new road sensors, will help the agency enhance its flood monitoring and response efforts.<\/p>\n
When flash floods are reported, the conventional pumping set-up usually involves contractors using a lorry to transport pumps, a diesel generator, hoses and other equipment to the affected location. These could take an hour or longer to set up, depending on the situation\u2019s complexity.<\/p>\n
But the set-up is challenging to deploy in more confined environments, such as an underground carpark, tunnels or a basement.<\/p>\n
The new 800kg rover that PUB is trialling, however, can be deployed in such cases.<\/p>\n
The vehicle can run for at least seven hours, and has a pumping capacity of 500 cubic m per hour, which is equivalent to emptying an Olympic-size swimming pool in five hours.<\/p>\n
As an amphibious vehicle, it can operate in knee-high flood waters of up to 70cm deep to draw water into nearby drains. This also reduces the need for personnel to enter tight areas such as basement carparks, where there is a risk of electrical hazards.<\/p>\n
The rover can also traverse uneven terrain and stairs, as it has tracks instead of wheels.<\/p>\n\n\nThe rover can also traverse uneven terrain and stairs, as it has tracks instead of wheels.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Only one person needs to accompany the rover.<\/p>\n
He or she can manoeuvre it via remote control up to 100m away, and attach a hose to the vehicle before it enters the flooded area. The other end of the hose is then brought to the nearest unflooded drainage outlet to release the water guzzled by the machine.<\/p>\n\n\nDuring the demonstration, the rover pumped out water from the pool into Pandan River.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The new rover has a pumping capacity that is double that of PUB\u2019s largest portable pump in the conventional set-up.<\/p>\n
Leased from a vendor, the rover will be trialled in Singapore for a year before PUB decides whether to deploy more.<\/p>\n
PUB said the rover can also be used to pump out flood waters in coastal areas when high tide coincides with heavy rain.<\/p>\n
In such situations, coastal tide gates are closed to prevent seawater from flooding inland areas. But this also restricts rainwater from being discharged into the sea.<\/p>\n
For example, non-stop rain over Singapore on Jan 10, 2025, coincided with high tides that resulted in flooding in some coastal areas in the low-lying East Coast area. A nearly three-hour flood was recorded in Jalan Seaview in Mountbatten.<\/p>\n
PUB also said on Nov 12 that it has installed 30 sensors at flood-prone roads that will trigger alerts to the agency when water starts pooling in the road.<\/p>\n
Such road sensors, which are hidden behind drop inlet chambers at road kerbs, are new. Their function is to detect actual flood events.<\/p>\n
These join an existing network of over 1,200 water level sensors that PUB has installed in canals and drains. These sensors send automated flood-risk warnings to the agency when the water levels of canals reach 90%. In these cases, floods have not occurred yet.<\/p>\n
PUB said a six-month trial of the road sensors in places such as King\u2019s Road in Bukit Timah and Craig Road in Tanjong Pagar showed encouraging results, with flood alerts transmitted within one minute.<\/p>\n
Currently, flash floods are confirmed by PUB officers who scan footage from CCTV cameras at the agency\u2019s headquarters. Once flooding is seen, they issue flash-flood warnings through PUB\u2019s Telegram channel.<\/p>\n
The new sensors can automatically transmit alerts to PUB so that its quick-response vehicles can get to the flooded area faster.<\/p>\n\n\nRoad flood sensor (in orange) inside the drop inlet chamber at Balmoral Road.\u00a0<\/p>\n
PHOTO: PUB<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The quick-response vehicles, rolled out since 2021, can drive through flood waters to close off flooded road sections and divert traffic, as well as install portable flood barriers.<\/p>\n
The agency said it plans to extend the trial with 15 additional sensors in flood-prone locations and outside residential properties to provide earlier warnings for residents to protect their properties and vehicles.<\/p>\n
PUB is also looking at integrating the new road sensors with the network of water level sensors in canals and drains, as well as CCTV video analytics, to eventually automate alerts when flash floods are detected.<\/p>\n